William milton brown



(No Model.)

W. M 'BRo-W'N..

RAILWAY SWITGH. No. 537,601. Patented Apr.` 16, 1895.

#7 www M41,

Unita Status artnr ratten.

VILLIAlWI MILTON BROWN, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEJOHNSON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 537,601, dated April 16,1895.

Application filed January 2, 1895. Serial No. 533,578. (No model.)

Vwhich the through or straight track is unbroken or presents acontinuous surface for the car wheel to roll upon. These switches aredesirable where the bulk of the travel is upon the through track, thesiding track be ingonly occasionally used.

My improved form of switch is specially adapted to street railways, andin this connection I will describe it.

In the drawings Figure l represents ageneral View of a portion ofrailway track containing a switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is atop view of the switch showing it set to deiiect a car from the straightto the siding track. Fig. 3 is a top view of the switch showing it setto allow a car to travel undisturbed upon the straight or through track.Figs. 4f, 5 and 6 are sections upon lines X, Y and Z respectively ofFig.,2.

I will now describe the switch in detail.

R R are the main or through track rails. and r, i" the branch-O orsiding rails. The main rails R are usuallyv provided with a side tram t,while the branch-off rails -r may or may not have grooves and guards g.On the gage side or inside of the main rail R is attached the frame orcasting F. This frame affords a support and protection to the tongue Tpivoted therein. The construction of the tongue is as follows: At eachend it is pivoted in the frame F by pivots P on an axis substantiallyparallel to the line of the main rail R and is so shaped that in oneposition, that of Fig. 2, it lies upon the tram t and close against thegage line of the main rail,

. and when thrown over in the position shown is below the top of thehead of the rail R, preferably far enough below to allow the flange of acar wheel to pass the end without striking it. This incline graduallyrises to ward the 'center of the tongue until it reaches the level ofthe top of the rail'R. Adjacent to the incline is the guard f, whichcommences substantially parallel with the rail R, 6o

but curves toward and across it and forms practically acontinuatiou ofthe guard g of rail r. From the top of inclineI to the point o where theguard g crosses the gage line of rail R the metal of the tongue forms aioorf venient way for attachment to rail R. I have shown it as acastingjolned to the ordinary rail at J. Likewise the mate M (Fig. 1)may be formed of a casting and attached to the rail R without anymutilation of the same.

The oorf of rail fr should commence at 8o rail R, level with the top ofthe head of rail R and be inclined downward as it curves away therefrom.Likewise the end of the head of rail r may be elevated above that ofrail R at a distance equal to the depth'of the 85 liange of a car wheel,fora purpose hereinafter explained.

The action ofthe switch is this: If a car approaching from the left ofFig. l should pass over to the siding track r the tongue of the 9oswitch isthrown to the position in Fig.. 2. As the car comes along theliange of the wheel passes upon incline I and as it rises thereupon itbears against guard g. W'hen the wheel reaches the lioorf, the bottom ofthe ange is level with the top of rail R and is forced by the guard gover, upon, and across it. By the time it leaves the end of guard g thecar has been sufficiently deflected from the line of track R to passupon the siding rco track r. The wheel therefore rolls across the headof rail R upon the elevated iioorf and head of rail r and thence downinto the siding track.

The tongue is inserted by en- 7o the ncessaryguard g and ain enabled toI have shown at S a stopuformed upon the i casting and adapted tosupport the center of lthe tongue T against the side thrust of the carwheel as it is deflected out of its straight path. One or more of thesestops maybe ernployde l e Where it is desired that the` car should con'-tinue upon the straight track, the tongue T is thrown over into thepocket in frame F2 as shown in Fig. 3, and the rail R is left clear andunobstructed. u

I am aware that svritches of this class have been employed inWhichthetongue has been provided with substantially the same form ofincline and guard as I have herein described, but they have been pivotedupon a vertical pivot at one end and have necessarily been longer thanthe effective portion of guard g and consequentlyheavierand occupyingmore space in the street. By iny'rco'ns'trution I am enabled to use atongue tio longerth'an firmly support it against any side thrust alongitsside..

When I spe-ak of anu'jnnroken miam fait, I refer only to' thetop of 4thehead of the rail, that portion upfo'nyvhi'ch the car Wheel travels; asit is obvious that were they-rail to` be pro'- vided vifitiiy a grooveand guard ,it Aiwfi'll'd.be necessary to remove a 'portion of the guardto permit the tongue to lie against the gage line of the rail. I

g The train with which the straight track rail is usually providedaffords a very suitable floor for the tongue to lie upon While againstth' lil.

. yHaving thus described my invention, what claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an unbroken main line switch, in conlbination with an unbrokenthrough rail and a siding rail, a frame attached to the main rail on itsgage side, a pocket in said frame and a tongue in said pocket, saidtongue being pivotedv on a horizont-al axis substantially parallel withthe main rail and adapted to lie against the gage line of the rail or bethrown overinto the pocket leaving the through track clear.

Incolnbination with an unbroken track rail aving a side tram, a framesecured to the 'rail on the train side,` said frame having L pocket,and' a tongue lying in said pocket and longitudinally pivoted therein,said tongue being so constructed and arranged as to lie upon said trainand against the gage lineof the rail or be thrown over into the pocket'leaving the ytrack clear.

Y In testimony ywhereof I have atixed my signature in presenceof twowitnesses.

{ u WILLIAM MILTON BROWN.

Witnesses: u

RCHARD EYRE, l GEORGE B. SHEPLEY.

